Anyone here currently or formerly a member of Footlights? How much does it permeate light entertainment these days? It always seemed to be the clearest route to professional comedy writing, but now there are competitions and schemes and things. Has its influence waned?
I can't answer your question, but I like your 'Back to the Future' sig.
Oh bless you. It's the bestest of trilogies.
Quote: Shakeshaft @ June 29 2009, 6:48 PM BSTOh bless you. It's the bestest of trilogies.
The middle one was the bestestest.
Quote: NoggetFred @ June 29 2009, 10:10 PM BSTThe middle one was the bestestest.
The flying car made it gooderer than the first
Quote: Shakeshaft @ June 29 2009, 6:48 PM BSTOh bless you. It's the bestest of trilogies.
Don't talk rubbish. It has to be Star Wars.
Quote: Shakeshaft @ June 29 2009, 6:34 PM BSTAnyone here currently or formerly a member of Footlights? How much does it permeate light entertainment these days? It always seemed to be the clearest route to professional comedy writing, but now there are competitions and schemes and things. Has its influence waned?
The South Bank Show recently did a special on the Footlights, was quite interesting and talked about it's influence today etc. You may be able to find it on YouTube, if not, not sure where you would find it.
Weren't Mitchell and Webb in the Cambridge Footlights?
Mitchell was president in 1996: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footlights
Dan
Some very talented people have been in the Cambridge Footlights. And Emma Thompson.
Check on their website for the full list. http://footlights.org/alumni.html
The front page lists Douglas Adams, Clive Anderson, David Baddiel, Sasha Baron Cohen, John Bird, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Peter Cook, Michael Frayn, David Frost, Stephen Fry, Germaine Greer, Matt Holness, Alex Horne, Nicholas Hytner, Eric Idle, Clive James, Tim Key, Hugh Laurie, John Lloyd, Miriam Margoyles, Simon McBurney, Rory McGrath, Ben Miller, Jonathan Miller, David Mitchell, Neil Mullarkey, Trevor Nunn, Bill Oddie, Sue Perkins, Jan Ravens, Griff Rhys Jones, Peter Shaffer, Tony Slattery, Emma Thompson, Mark Watson, Robert Webb. Here's the whole list with some pictures thrown in.
Already from the 2001/2 cast, Mark Watson, Tim Key, Tom Basden, Sophie Winkelman, Stefan Goleszowski, and Nick Mohammed have become pretty well established on TV, radio and the comedy circuit. No doubt the rest are doing whatever they wanted to do. It's a pretty good first step into the comedy biz, and ensures that you're well connected to people who are well-connected.
So, do well in your A levels everyone. Don't drop French. And I hope they did Latin at your school.
Yep.
Caecilius est in atrium. Filia est in atrium. Caecilius filiam amat.
Quote: chipolata @ June 30 2009, 10:19 AM BSTSome very talented people have been in the Cambridge Footlights. And Emma Thompson.
That's a bit tough. I'm not her greatest fan, her comedy show Thompson was terrible, but she can act. I saw her in the Footlights pantomime almost thirty years ago (Christ!) and you could see she was going to be successful, she just stood out from the rest.
Quote: chipolata @ June 30 2009, 10:19 AM BSTSome very talented people have been in the Cambridge Footlights. And Emma Thompson.
Harsh.
Quote: chipolata @ June 30 2009, 10:19 AM BSTSome very talented people have been in the Cambridge Footlights. And Emma Thompson.
Quote: Jacob Loves Comedy @ June 30 2009, 11:20 AM BSTHarsh.
...But true.